


Shelter My Heart

by RockstarMiddy



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Gen, Good grief all these tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-07
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-18 19:22:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5940237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RockstarMiddy/pseuds/RockstarMiddy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Marinette shows up and partakes in one of his photo shoots at an animal shelter, Adrien begins to realize there are some connections between the classmate he sits in front of everyday, Marinette, and the super heroine his heart yearns for, Ladybug. Are these connections just a figment of his imagination or could this be the real deal?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Photo Shoot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Marinette shows up and partakes in one of his photo shoots at an animal shelter, Adrien begins to realize there are some connections between the classmate he sits in front of everyday, Marinette, and the super heroine his heart yearns for, Ladybug. Are these connections just a figment of his imagination or could this be the real deal?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This may not be the greatest! My writing skills are relatively rusty, but I feel that this chapter was a good warm up! Enjoy!

                Ladybug’s feet landed on the balcony, but it was Marinette who went through the window and into the room that lead to the balcony. A soft groan left Marinette’s lips as she slumped onto her bed, allowing herself to sink into the blankets.

                “Tired already?” Tikki’s soft voice chimed. The cherry red kwami sat on Marinette’s slumped shoulder, offering a small, reassuring pat. The only response given was another groan before a face lifted itself up. “That last akuma really did a number on things, the way her words twisted and controlled things…”

                Marinette rolled onto her back (Tikki had fallen off her shoulder but managed to float up in time) and pulled herself up into a sitting position, running a hand through her bangs. “Me? Tired?” A smile cracked at her lips as she got back onto her feet. “If I can deal with Chloé every day, I can definitely face an akuma who makes things go her way.” Tikki laughed at Marinette’s joke and pressed her hands together.

                “With an attitude like that, you’ll be unstoppable!”

                “Too bad I can’t keep that attitude around Adrien— Adrien!” A wave of panic flushed over Marinette, sending her down the stairs that lead to the loft her bed sat on. Once her feet were off the last steps, she swiveled around and pulled down Adrien’s schedule. Her finger traced over the paper until it landed on the square with today’s date. Today was another photo shoot, this time at the local animal shelter. Marinette had been hoping to stumble through the photo shoot and hopefully be pulled in to pose with Adrien. Or at least see him. Yeah, seeing him would be nice. Maybe he’d wave at her like he did during the photo shoot at the park!

                Tikki’s voice shook the daydreaming girl back to reality. “Hello? Earth to Marinette!” Blinking her blue eyes, Marinette focused back on the schedule in front of her.  “You’re in la-la-land, aren’t you?”

                “What? Of course not!”

                “Do you know what time it is?”

                What time it is..? Marinette looked over her shoulder at her computer screen and her heart leaped when she read the time.

                Four fifteen p.m.

                The familiar feeling of panic was washed over her again as the realization hit her. “The photo shoot is starting in fifteen minutes! I don’t have enough time to fix my hair or put on makeup or- or change into something nicer than this! This outfit’s so bland! If I show up like this, there’s no way Adrien’s going to notice me and aaahhh, I can see it now! If he doesn’t notice me here, he’ll never notice me in the future and I’ll grow up to be sad and alone and my life is over, Tikki!!!” Marinette’s spiel ended with her hands tugging down her face.

                In her current state, the girl failed to notice Tikki sigh, but she did notice one of her pigtails being tugged by the kwami shortly afterwards. “Keep it together, Marinette! Everything will be fine!” Tikki reassured her, floating around to float in front of Marinette’s face. She smiled and continued, “You look great the way you are! You’re sure to be noticed by Adrien! Now let’s get going!”

                Marinette’s doubt was replaced with confidence. “Right!” she stated, turning to her desk and scooping up her purse. Once opened, Tikki joined the contents inside and Marinette clasped it shut before putting away the pull-down calendar that was attached to her ceiling. A quick glance over herself was done to make sure nothing was forgotten. She was already clumsy; she didn’t need to be forgetful, too!

                Reassured that she had everything she needed, Marinette left her room through the trap door in the floor and exited the bakery, passing through with a nervous grin and a fast-paced walk. However, once she was outside, her walk turned into a sprint. Oh, how Marinette was clumsy. How on earth was Ladybug not this clumsy? Truly it’s a mystery. Marinette was crashing into people going about their everyday business on the streets, leaving her stumbling and apologizing profusely before rushing off again, only to run into yet another person.

                Then there was a buzz coming from her purse that almost gave poor Marinette a heart attack. One hand fumbling to open her purse and retrieve her phone, the other hand stuck out to the side in a way similar to her trying to maintain her balance… which honestly was something she was probably attempting to do, as she was now beginning to lean forward as she ran.

                “Hello?”  Marinette answered quickly, phone pressed against her cheek.

                “Girl, are you on your way to the animal shelter yet? Adrien’s photo shoot is going to be starting any minute now!” Of course it was Alya on the other end. “Also, did you _see_ Ladybug take down that writer chick? That was wicked cool! And I got it all on film! It’s already on the Ladyblog!”

                Marinette would have rolled her eyes but that mere split second of not being focused on her path could result in her kissing the pavement. “Yes, yes, I’m almost there! I’ll call you and tell you how things go once it’s over!” The two exchanged goodbyes and Marinette hung up and went back to her objective of getting to the shelter.

                Finally, Marinette made it to the shelter with no time left to spare. She took a brief moment to catch her breath and dust herself off before going up to the lady at the counter and saying she’d like to assist with the animals. The lady seemed somewhat frazzled (probably because of having to deal with Adrien’s photographer) but guided her to animals’ living quarters. Marinette could have sworn she was given a look at that said,  _"I know why you’re really here,"_ before she was guided to the living quarters _._

                And once she was there, that was when she saw him.

                Adrien.

                Adrien Agreste was standing in front of a sharply-dressed man with a camera, smiling down at a cat in his hands. The cat he held had the same emerald hue to its eyes that he had and its fur was a sleek, glossy black. Marinette watched as pictures were taken, Adrien changing ways he held the cat between each one. He even held the feline in his arms similar to how a mother would hold an infant. What if Chat Noir held a cat like that? _Mama Chat Noir,_ Marinette thought to herself with a giggle she tried to cover with her hand.

                “Stop, stop, stop! We must pause!” shouted the photographer, startling the cat in Adrien’s arms. Instinctively, it freed itself from Adrien’s arms and began to bound off, leaving the Agreste standing there with a confused look on his face. This was the perfect moment for Marinette to step in! She could retrieve the cat and return it to Adrien!

                Spinning on her heel, she reached down and scooped up the startled cat, feeling its soft fur against her hands. Her arms wrapped around the cat protectively as she tucked it close to her chest. "You've got this, Marinette!" Tikki whispered from Marinette's purse.

                Time to make a move!

* * *

                 “Would someone get that ruddy cat!? We need it for ze pictures!” This photographer sure did have a short fuse. Adrien sighed and watched his photographer go batty while an assistant took a lint roller and began getting black cat hair off his shirt. He stood there, making sure to be still to allow the assistant to do their job even though he was itching to fetch that cat again.

                Just as the assistant finished, Adrien turned to go start his search for the cat but it seemed a familiar face already finished the search for him. “I’ve got the cat here!” Adrien’s classmate, Marinette, called out. In her arms was the cat he had just been posing with. Out of sheer irony, the shelter had given that cat the name of Chat Noir. Guess it Adrien's own 'mini-me', right?

                The photographer turned his gaze to Miss Dupain-Cheng and seemed to relax only a smidgen when his eyes laid rest on the cat she held. “Ah, about time! Come on, now, we are on a tight schedule! Give ze boy ze cat!” Jeez, this guy could have at least said ‘please’ to Marinette, Adrien thought, scrunching his nose slightly. She smiled nervously and nodded, walking over to Adrien and holding out the cat.

                “Here you go, Adrien..!”

                Adrien smiled and gingerly took the cat from her. Unfortunately, before he could thank Marinette, his photographer spoke. “Now, now, out of ze shot! We have more pictures to take!” The look on Marinette’s face made his lips curl into a subtle frown and he watched as she stepped back and into the assistant, causing her to drop her stuff. This clearly didn’t please Adrien’s photographer. Not one bit. “You! You are ruining my shoot! Either get it together or leave!”

                “No! You can’t kick her out!” Adrien interrupted, stepping in. In the corner of his eye, he could see Marinette’s surprised expression. “I… I invited her here! I thought maybe you’d like some photos of me and her with the animals!” Smart, Agreste.

                His photographer’s face twisted in concentration as gears turned and clicked in his mind. He turned to Marinette, who stared back with wide eyes. When her blue eyes shifted to Adrien, he mouthed the words, _"go along with it"_ , and thankfully, she understood, because when she looked back at the man standing over her with a camera, she grinned and nodded in agreement. “…Yes, yes! Brilliant, my boy! Absolutely brilliant!” A sigh of relief left both Adrien and Marinette’s lips. “I know just what we need for this! Someone get more cats!”

* * *

                 After some setting up, pictures were taken of both Adrien and Marinette playing with a handful of kittens. Holding a soft black-furred kitten, a photo was taken as Marinette held the small, mewling bundle of fur to her face and had her nose licked. A smile found its way onto Adrien’s lips at the scene.

                Marinette looked so comfortable and relaxed. This was a side he never saw from her often; she always seemed so nervous and finicky when around him but he was never sure why. It was only recently that Marinette wasn’t stuttering or fumbling around when interacting with him. That was a good sign, right?

                Meanwhile, when she was around Chat Noir, she was confident, bold, and even sassy at times. It reminded him of the girl he pined for, the heroine who didn’t return his feelings – the one and only Ladybug. How come he never saw that side of Marinette normally? Will he ever see the side of her as Adrien? Or will she only show it to Chat Noir?

                Perhaps… there was a connection? She showed off a side reminiscent of Ladybug around Chat Noir but not Adrien… Could she…? No, no way. Marinette couldn’t be Ladybug!

                “I never knew you were a cat person, Marinette.” Adrien chuckled as he set down a calico kitten with mismatched colored eyes, striking up a conversation to clear his mind of its current thoughts.

                “Oh, well, I’m used to hanging around cats, you know?” the chuckle was returned, though hers was subtly laced with nervousness. He nodded in agreement and idly scratched under a kitten’s chin with the tip of his index finger. ”The cats seem pretty comfortable around you, too.” That was a good point she made.

                “Yeah, I guess I could say the same as you; used to hanging around these little critters.” That was a lie. The only cat he ever hung around was Plagg and he wasn’t even sure if he _was_ a real cat.

                Before the two could converse more, they were interrupted by the announcement that they had enough photos and were ready to go. A sinking feeling grew in Adrien’s chest. He was just starting to see this side of Marinette and now he had to leave. He wanted to talk to her more and see what else she was like. He sighed faintly and stood up, careful to not tread on any cat tails. His question, “I guess I’ll be seeing you tomorrow?” was answered with a nod from the girl who, too, stood up . “Cool, I’ll see you tomorrow, then!” Adrien said with a bow and arm flourish before grabbing his bag and following the photographer and assistant out of the shelter.

* * *

                 “There’s no way Marinette could be Ladybug…” Adrien uttered to himself as he sat in front of his laptop, scrolling rapidly through Alya’s Ladyblog. He looked at every photo, watched every video, and listened to every word that left the super heroine’s lips. His back was beginning to ache from sitting hunched in his chair for so long. Ever since the photo shoot, he couldn’t help but think of who Ladybug could possibly be under her spotted mask. And at the same time, all he could think about was Marinette. Her laugh rung in his ears and her smile was imprinted in his memory.

                Wait, what was he doing? His heart belonged to Ladybug, not Marinette! But… if Marinette is Ladybug…

                Then would that mean his heart belonged to Marinette?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, yeah, I really wanted to write a fanfic for Miraculous Ladybug but it's probably clear to see in my writing that it's been a while since I've done any decent writing. The main idea was this was helping out at an animal shelter, so I thought 'hey, let's turn this into a photo shoot Marinette tries to show up at', but I wanted to do more with it, thus why this ending seems to signify there's going to be additional chapters! Anyways! Hope you liked it! If I get enough encouragement to work on another chapter, I'll get to work!


	2. A Hundred and Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mind still buzzing with the idea of Marinette possibly being Ladybug, Adrien finds out at school that Marinette is home, sick with the flu. What was meant to be an attempt to help back up a love-struck friend who wanted to stop by Marinette's house with Alya to wish her well turned into something Adrien wasn't expecting at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh God, if you've been seeing my tumblr posts, you'll know that I had a hard time writing this chapter.  
> BUT 'EY, WARNING FOR SQUEAMISH READERS: There's gonna be a moment where Marinette gets sick in the chapter as in sick-sick, so if you're emetophobic, read with caution! ;o;
> 
> I still feel like I could have written this better, but hey! I hope you enjoy! :D

            His legs were growing stiff and his arms were starting to ache. He’s been in this pose for five minutes, but to his body, those five minutes were the equivalent of a millennium. Adrien wanted to ask how much longer he’d have to hold this pose, but he wasn’t going to step out of line. Even putting a toe out of line could be disastrous for him. Why couldn’t they let him sit? They weren’t even taking pictures! Adrien’s back was crying out in agony and the aching was beginning to tug at his expression, dulling the light in his eyes in the process. Tucked inside his jacket, he could feel Plagg stirring, perhaps waking up from his cat nap.

            “Plagg, keep still..!” The words slipped quietly through Adrien’s teeth and honestly, he wasn’t even sure if it got to the kwami heard what he said. He patted the spot where the kwami rested and sighed a bit.

            In an instant, Adrien was back to the pose he was meant to hold, forcing a smile that made his cheeks ache. “You’re still in that pose? Bah! You look like a mannequin! Move around, my boy, give us some life!” Those words were music to the model’s ears, for he was now able to drop his arms and stretch his legs. In fact, Adrien took the opportunity to stretch all his limbs. Arms stretched up and behind his head, reaching down to touch his toes, and heck, he even did a few lunges just to get the blood flowing through his legs.

            As he was in the middle of stretching, he heard the familiar shutter sound of his photographer’s camera. His head turned and he was greeted with, “No! Don’t look, my boy! Go back to what it is that you are doing!”

            He didn’t protest.

* * *

            When Adrien showed up for school the next day, he was relatively surprised to see that Marinette wasn’t present. Usually she showed up to the classroom before him, already engaging in a conversation with Alya. But now, the spot where she sat was empty and beside the space was Alya, looking rather interested in whatever was on her phone. As Adrien looked at the device in the girl’s hand, his gaze drifted to the ladybug ornament that hung off it. He was meaning to get one of those for himself.

            “Hey, Alya,” Adrien greeted as he took his seat and turned to her. She looked up from her phone and her golden eyes met his emerald ones.

            Her lips parted into a smile before she spoke. “Hey, Adrien, how was the shoot? I heard some pictures were taken of you and someone else!"

            He wasn't going to ask how she found out; if Alya wanted to know something, she'd know sooner or later... in most cases. She still has yet to know the secret identities of Ladybug and Chat Noir. But if she finds out Ladybug's secret identity before she finds out Chat Noir's, Adrien wasn't going to hesitate to ask.

            He was dying to know who his lady was under her mask, but if Alya finding out before him ever occurred and she relayed the name to him, he'd still act oblivious as Chat. For Ladybug's sake. Chat Noir was a gentleman. When Ladybug was ready to tell him, she’d tell him. Who knows, if Alya finds out and spills the name to him, he may even be given the wrong identity!

            “Huh? Oh, yeah!” The chuckle left his lips nervously as he rubbed the back of neck. Deciding to quickly change the subject, Adrien pointed over at Marinette’s seat, which continued to be Marinette-less. “Marinette not here?” He asked, drawing Alya’s attention over to the spot.

            Alya’s smile faded and her head bobbed in a nod. “Yeah, girl’s home with the flu.”

            “Oh, man! That must suck! I had the flu a few weeks ago and, like, it was _aaaawful!”_ Nino’s voice broke its way into the conversation. Adjusting his hat, the boy leaned back to properly join the conversation. “Hey, Alya, you’re stopping by Marinette’s to drop off her missed homework after school, yeah?”

            She nodded once again and propped her chin up with her palm. “Yeah, why?” An eyebrow was quirked and a small grin played at Nino’s lips. “What, you wanna join me?” And with that, his face flushed ever so slightly. Alya didn’t seem to notice, but Adrien definitely did notice. Guess it was time to save his buddy.

            “Hey, I wouldn’t mind joining you, either! We can all stop by and give her homework and wish her well!” said Agreste, folding his arms behind his back and smiling. He watched the gears turn in Alya’s head and her eyes then lit up, which was a good sign, right?

            Yeah, hopefully…

* * *

  _“Bonjour,_ Mister and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng!” Adrien greeted after following Alya and Nino into the bakery Marinette’s parents owned. At the counter, Sabine Dupain-Cheng smiled at the three teenagers and gave them a gentle wave before handing a customer their change.

            “We’re here to see Marinette -- give her her homework and wish her well and all that,” explained Alya.

            “That’s so thoughtful of you. Marinette will love to see you,” Sabine told them, holding her hands behind her back. She was staring right at Adrien as she said that. But she was obviously referring to all three of them… she had to have been. “Adrien, Alya, you know the way.” And with that, Sabine let them through. Adrien slipped a ‘thank you’ to Marinette’s mother as he passed, continuing to tail after Nino and Alya.

            Nino turned to look at Adrien and talk as he followed after Marinette’s best friend. “You’ve been here before?” He seemed pretty surprised and when a nod was what he got for a response, a frown formed on his lips.

            The model held up his hands in defense. “I just came by to be Marinette’s translator -- when her uncle was here! Alya actually sent me over without Marinette knowing.” When he said that, a snicker could be heard from Alya, and Adrien took the moment to turn Nino back around so he could be lead up the stairs to the trap door that lead to Marinette’s room.

            When Alya opened the door, she turned to the boys and put a finger to her lips, and they got the message. Quietly, she lead them inside Marinette’s room. Nino’s mouth gaped open in awe as his golden-brown eyes explored the unfamiliar environment.  His head was still poking through the doorway, though, so Adrien had to shove him up and into the room completely so he could get in. And once he was in Marinette’s room, he offered a hand to his best friend and pulled him to his feet.

            “Her room is so cute…” The words were soft and short-lived, born on his breath and dying at his lips. Thankfully, Adrien was close enough to hear the birth and death of the words. Apparently Alya was close enough to hear, too, as Nino was shushed immediately after he spoke.

            A glare was shot their way before the girl turned to the small set of stairs leading up to a loft and ascended. _That must be where Marinette’s bed is,_ Adrien thought, watching Alya sit down on something and speak softly to what had to have been Marinette. “Hey, girl, how you feelin’?” she asked.

            “I feel like I have the flu,” a new voice, Marinette’s, groaned.

            “Well, duh! That’s because you _do_ have the flu.” laughed Alya, patting Marinette’s shoulder. The sick girl shuffled up into a sitting position, and Adrien and Nino could see her profile. She was wearing a pastel pink singlet and her dark hair was down, resting on her shoulders in a tousled state. Both attributes to her appearance were new to the guys. Adrien was positive his heart skipped a beat as he watched her stretch, her arms going up into the air, hands reaching for the clouds.

            His emerald eyes shifted over and he saw the same dumbstruck expression on Nino’s face. And without warning, Nino’s face blanked and Adrien opened his mouth to ask what was wrong. He never got to ask because Nino was now sneezing, startling Adrien, Alya, and worst of all, Marinette.

            “Nino!!!” Alya shouted from the loft, her expression contorted with annoyance.

            “I’m sorry!!!”

            “Nino’s here!?”

            Marinette turned her head to notice her two classmates standing by the trap door in the floor and when she saw Adrien, her already flushed face turned redder. That’s when Alya took a hold of Marinette’s shoulders and forcefully turned her so they were face-to-face. “Calm down, girl! They came with me.” She reassured, staring into her friend’s bewildered eyes. “We all wanted to stop by and wish you well. Hope you get better and that stuff!” There was a brief silence hanging in the room and Adrien considered ushering Nino and himself out of the room when there was a weak chuckle.

            “Oh, gosh… you guys are so sweet…” Marinette held her face in her hands, making Adrien and Nino unable to see the smile plastering itself onto her face.

            “Of course we are, you hang around us so your sweetness rubs off! Come on, get out of bed!”

* * *

            “Alya, I think I should lay back down…”

            The cheery mood in Marinette’s room quickly subsided with that line from Marinette and everyone’s expressions dropped. Alya, Adrien, and Nino all exchanged glances between one another before Alya finally spoke.

            “Yeah, yeah, let me grab a thermometer and make sure we didn’t roast you while having you hang out with us outside your bed. Adrien, can you get a washcloth from the kitchen and get it wet?” Adrien was surprised to be tasked with something, but he nodded and got to his feet alongside Alya.

            Nino looked up at them like a lost puppy. “What do you guys want me to do?”

            “Hold back Marinette’s hair if she gets sick,” Adrien joked with a weak smile but Nino seemed to take the task seriously, nodding affirmatively. And with that, Alya and Adrien were off.

            Adrien wasn’t really sure of where things were kept in Marinette’s kitchen, but thankfully, it wasn’t that long before he found a washcloth. He turned to the sink before pausing. The water may not be cold enough to cool her down. His emerald eyes shifted to the refrigerator.

            “Note to self,” Adrien said under his breath as he opened the fridge and reached in, grabbing a water bottle. “Buy a water for Marinette to make up for this one.” Opening the bottle, he held the washcloth over the sink and proceeded to pour the chilled water onto the cloth. A shiver ran along his spine as his hand was also doused with the water.

            “Thank goodness you didn’t spill that everywhere.” a new, yet familiar voice chimed.

            “Shut up, Plagg! Before someone sees you!” The kwami rolled his eyes and sighed, floating over to tuck himself back into Adrien’s pocket. There was something mumbled, the only words Adrien catching being ‘camembert’. Ooof course. To the cat, the only that mattered was camembert.

            Now equipped with a damp washcloth that was freezing his hand, Adrien hurried back upstairs to Marinette’s room. He was surprised to find Marinette hunched over a waste basket, Nino sitting beside her, holding her hair back. Concern flooded through the Agreste but before he could rush over, Alya’s startled gasp was beside him and in a heartbeat, she was at Marinette’s other side. Guess that means he was going to sitting in front of her and the trash can.

            Adrien placed himself on the other side of the trash can even though Alya got up just as he sat down. “I’m gonna get some water for you,” she told Marinette as she left, leaving the guys alone with the sick Dupain-Cheng.

            Thankfully, Marinette wasn’t throwing up for very long and while Nino was sent out to take out the trash, Adrien and Alya were left tending to her. Adrien was holding the damp washcloth to Marinette’s forehead while Alya was taking her temperature. When the thermometer beeped, Alya took it out of Marinette’s mouth and looked at the number on it. “One-o’-three… That’s high. Let’s get you back into bed, girl, we’ve overstayed our visit.”

            “No, no! It’s fine, really..!” The tone of Marinette’s voice struck both Adrien and Alya as concerning.

            “I know that voice, Marinette; you’re having fever-induced hallucinations. Bed -- now.” Marinette whined in protest and Adrien couldn’t help but find it a tad amusing. “Adrien, help me get her into bed.” And he did. He even went back to the kitchen to dampen the washcloth again so that when he returned to Marinette’s bedside, he could place it on her forehead. Now he owed Marinette two bottles of water.

            “Ahh... “ Marinette sighed with relief as she was cooled down. “Thank you, Chat…”

            Adrien’s blood turned to ice in his veins while Alya snickered beside him. “She thinks _you’re_ Chat Noir,” she whispered, poking his side. “This fever’s making her lose it!”

            “H-heh… yeah… Hopefully her temperature goes down soon…” It’s just a fever hallucination. There’s no way she could know he’s Chat Noir. “We ready to go?” He asked Alya.

            “Yup. Marinette, if you can understand what I’m saying, your homework’s on your desk.” Alya told her. “I’ll be back tomorrow, alright? Try to get better for us.” After that, Nino was met at the door and they all left the Dupain-Cheng residence.

* * *

            “What are you doing?” Plagg asked, floating over to the Agreste who laid on his bed, staring mindlessly into the ceiling. “Are you fantasizing about Ladybug again?”

            “No.”

            “Then what are you doing? Come on, we could be doing something, I could be eating camembert!” Plagg plopped himself down on Adrien’s chest and stared at him with big eyes. “I’m huuuungry!”

            Adrien sighed and, without looking away from the ceiling, reached out to gently scratch Plagg’s head with his index finger. “Don’t worry, buddy, I’ll get you your cheese.”

            The black cat kwami huffed but didn’t move out from under Adrien’s finger. “You better.” Once those words were said, he finally floated off, leaving Adrien alone.

            Another sigh was emitted and emerald eyes were closed. “Why am I still thinking about her..?” Her -- Marinette.  Just like the time spent after the photo shoot at the animal shelter, Adrien’s thoughts were revolving around her. But now she took up all his thoughts. He wasn’t sidetracked with trying to link her to Ladybug. He was just thinking about _her._ Her sky blue eyes, the very faint freckles dotting the bridge of her nose, her silky black hair…

            Was Nino thinking about her like this..?

            Nino…

            There was that feeling again, making its presence known. It was a primal feeling, burning in his gut. He had noticed its presence since the conversation held during school. Adrien tried to ignore it, tried to douse the burning sensation, but part of him knew it’d be impossible.

            It was jealousy.

            Adrien Agreste was jealous of his best friend’s crush on Marinette.

            Why?

            Because Nino wasn’t the only one crushing on her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear I'm not going to have every chapter end with Adrien thinking to himself in his room. I SWEAR.
> 
> But since this is being published on Valentine's Day, I thought it'd be nice to end it with Cupid firing his arrow at our cinnamon roll. uwu
> 
> Hopefully it won't take forever for me to type out Chapter Three!


End file.
